16 Celebrities Who Almost Got BANNED From Social Media
By now, most of us know that our favorite celebrities make money off of their Instagram accounts. If you didn't already know that, well, yeah, all your favorite celebrities are making money off of their Instagram accounts. What happens is that celebrities with large followings will be approached by companies, who then pay the said celebrity to post about their product. I mean, you didn't think that many people really drank skinny tea or detox tea on a daily basis, right? Nope, those teas are shoveling out big money to get celebrity endorsements.
These sponsored posts seem to work. If you remember the debacle of Fyre Festival, the festival that promised the lavishness of suites and Steven Starr catered food, but ended up being, for lack of a better term, a shit show. This festival was heavily promoted by “influencers” like Kendall Jenner, Belle Hadid and Emily Ratajkowski. They posted about the festival, and guess what? People flocked to the festival. So, social media marketing totally works!
All that being said, managing and accounting for the money from these endorsements is difficult. I mean, half the time you may be unsure if the celebrity is endorsing a product or really does loves the product. That's where the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) stepped in and mandated that all sponsored posts be clearly marked with #sponsored, #ad or something of the like. Still, not all the celebrities have followed the rules. For example, of all the sponsored Fyre Festival posts, Emily Ratajkowski was the one celebrity to write #ad on her post. Meanwhile it's been reported that Kendall Jenner was paid $250,000 for a single post about Fyre Fest.
Celebrities are breaking the rules, y'all. And, the FTC is NOT having any of it. They issued serious warning to dozens of celebrities and below we have 16 of them.
16 Jennifer Lopez
Obviously, Jennifer Lopez is going to monetize her Instagram. Jennifer Lopez is an amazing business woman, who has worked as a dancer, a singer, an actress, and a producer. She has a line of clothing and a line of fragrances. I'm pretty sure Jennifer Lopez is, like, always working. And, that's the truth. She IS always working, even when she's posting on Instagram because engaging your audience is a huge part of being an Instagram influencer.
Being the 19th most followed person on Instagram, with 65.4 million followers, Jennifer Lopez is, indeed, a huge influencer. More times than not, Lopez promotes her own ventures, like Shades of Blue or World of Dance. While there doesn't seem to be any hard and fast rules against promoting your own products, if NBC is actually playing her to post about Shade of Blue, she would need to indicate that with #sponsored or #ad.
The real lesson of Jennifer Lopez's Instagram, though, is that we should all pray to look like that at 47-years-old.
15 Kourtney Kardashian
You knew a Kardashian would be on this list, right? I mean, if it's a list about social media in any way, shape or form, there has to be a Kardashian on it.
As the oldest member of the Kardashian/Jenner clan, Kourtney has the least amount of followers of the ladies. Uh, but she's still the 22nd most followed person on Instagram, with 57.4 million. Yes, all the other sisters - Kim, Khloe, Kendall and Kylie - have more followers than 57 million. For the record, I think having 1,000 followers is even a lot, so there's that.
Kourtney has turned to sponsored posts more so than her sisters. This is likely because Kourtney doesn't have anything of her own to promote. Khloe has her line of jeans and her show, Kylie her lip kits, Kendall her modeling career, and Kim has like 37 ventures to constantly talk about. Kourtney, on the other hand, has not expanded her brand in these ways. So, she posts about hair vitamins, tummy tea, and skincare products. Kourtney, we still love you, even if you push tummy tea on us.
14 Emily Ratajkowski
Did Emily Ratajkowski just explode in mega fame or what? Unless you've been following her career, you may feel like she's suddenly everywhere. However, it was the 2013 “Blurred Lines” music video that jumped started her career. From there, her next huge move was a smaller role in 2014's Gone Girl. Now, Ratajkowski regularly books modeling gigs and acting roles, not that she necessarily needs to. Girlfriend could make an income off her Instagram account alone. With 13.1 million followers, she's not as popular as Jennifer Lopez or Kourtney Kardashian, but she still has a huge following to which she can market a product. Ratajkowski's even posted a sponsored photo for the Dodgers team… like a NBL team, because apparently everyone is trying to cash in on that Instagram marketing, even the Dodgers.
If you're in the mood to check out Emily Ratajkowski's Instagram, just be warned that it's NSFW. She posts some steamy pics.
13 Farrah Abraham
Whether you love her or hate her, you have to admit that Farrah Abraham is pretty resourceful when it comes to making money. By that, I mean that she's tapped into the world of reality television and she is milking it. And, more power to her for that. Why should we hate on her for making money by being famous? In fact, props to Paris Hilton, Kim Kardashian and everyone else how has paved the way for this weird small slice of the internet, in which people get paid for posting about skinny teas and hair vitamins. And, yes, Farrah Abraham posts tea posts because every celebrity, it seems, posts about skinny tea, or detox tea, or tummy tea. Apparently, tea is really trying to rebrand itself.
Farrah Abraham also makes a pretty penny by hosts events at clubs, a la Kim K or Paris Hilton. Farrah will probably never reach the heights of Kim K, but she's not doing so bad for herself.
12 Vanessa Hudgens
Appearing in the High School Musical franchise and dating Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens was once and up-and-coming It Girl. Since then, Hudgens has been laying low for quite some time. She's opted for indie films that have brought her very interesting roles, but less fame. Recently, her biggest moment has been starring as Rizzo in 2016's Grease: Live.
Despite her more low-key way of life these days, Vanessa Hudgens still has an impressive 25.7 million followers. Like everyone else with a ton of followers, Vanessa Hudgens is making that money for her posts. She's posted sponsored tummy tea posts and skincare posts.
Other than her sponsored posts, Vanessa Hudgens posts about going to music festivals and having fun with friends. Honestly, her Instagram account like look one big fun life and we're kind of jealous.
11 Lindsay Lohan
You know how I was like, 'Uh, Vanessa Hudgens used to be really famous, but now she's more low-key?' Yeah, well that's 100% Lindsay Lohan, but even MORE amplified.
Lindsay Lohan used to be everything. She was in Mean Girls, for the love of god! In the early 2000s, every girl wanted to be Lindsay Lohan. Then it was 2007, Lindsay Lohan turned into LiLoh and everything as we knew it changed. Lindsay Lohan drank, did drugs, and got DUIs. She basically did every single thing the D.A.R.E. program warns us against. And so, we haven't seen Lindsay Lohan in the film in quite some time, but she's still very active on Instagram, where she has 6 million followers. In the past, she's posted about teas, hair vitamins, teeth whitening kits, and all the stuff you see those Bachelor/Bachelorette contestants posting about.
Side note: Is anyone still hoping for a Lindsay Lohan comeback? Because I totally am.
10 Rachel Parcell
Being a 'lifestyle blogger' is an actual career. It's an actual career that pays really, really well. What exactly is a lifestyle blogger? These are women who post really curated, really beautiful photos and then accumulate hundreds of thousands of followers. Or, that's what the job seems like it entails. Lifestyle bloggers are internet celebrities, and so they too get paid to post sponsored content. In fact, sponsored content is how many lifestyle bloggers make all their money. Because of this, many blogger are very transparent about their sponsored ads, y'know so as to not piss off the FTC. Rachel Parcell, however, was one of the people who received a warning letter from the FTC.
Rachel Parcell is a blogger, who has 920K followers. Because of her followers, Rachel Parcell, like celebrities, will get paid to post about skincare lines, jewelry lines, and fashion labels. Also, please go look at her page. If it doesn't make you feel some girly goodness, I don't know what will.
9 Ashley Benson
This is what I like to call the Pretty Little Liars Portion of the article, because most of your PLL favorites are on this list.
Clocking in with 16.7 million followers, Ashley Benson has quite the reach. The reason brands love getting her to post their products is because of who follows her. Because the audience for PLL skews younger, Ashley Benson has younger followers, which is exactly what brands want. They hope to hook young people, because creating a life-long buyer means money, money, money.
Ashley Benson has posted a number of sponsored posts, with the most recent being for a vanity mirror. Because her followers tend to be young women, products marketed towards young women tend to end up on her Instagram.
8 Lucy Hale
Next up in the Pretty Little Liars portion of the article is Lucy Hale. Lucy has 18.3 million followers, so just a smidge more than ol' Ashley Benson. In interviews, Lucy Hale has even been asked about how she's accumulated such a following. In response, Hale talked about trying to keep her social media presence as authentic as possible. By that, she clarified by explaining that she doesn't post pictures based on what her followers will say. She'd rather post what she feels like posting, and we can all totally get down with that. Trying to be authentic hasn't stopped Lucy Hale from posting sponsored posts, though, as she was one of the celebs to receive a letter from the FTC.
Lucy will also post very often about Pretty Little Liars, which is one of the best moves celebrities can make. Taking the cash for a sponsored post may be easy money, but it can make your followers feel sour. They may feel like you aren't being authentic. Celebrities can lose followers for this reason. Instead, promoting your own projects can make you more money in the long run.
7 Sophia Bush
Sophia Bush only has 2.9 million followers. I know I said only… and it's 2.9 million followers. But, for a celebrity, 2.9 million isn't an excessive amount. In fact, with how gorgeous and successful Sophia Bush is, you'd think she'd have a ton more followers, right?
Regardless of her measly 2.9 million followers, brands still want to partner up with Sophia Bush. Being that Sophia Bush gained many of her fans during her years on One Tree Hill, her fans have been with her for a long time. This makes her valuable in the eyes of brands, as she may have more influence over her trusting and loyal long-time fans. I mean, what's worth more Sophia Bush's 2.9 million followers, all of whom adore her, or someone's millions on millions of followers who are just there for the scandalous selfies? Sophia Bush's 2.9 million, no offense to those scandalous selfie posters though.
6 Bella Thorne
At only 19-years-old, Bella Thorne has 15.5 million followers. Like the Pretty Little Liars ladies, her followers tend to skew younger, which makes her a very desirable spokesperson to brands. Like Shay Mitchell, Bella Thorne is a Biore spokesperson because Biore seems to be all about that social media marketing.
In looking at Bella's Instagram, it elicits the chaos of youth. Her pictures don't seem to be posed or curated very much. Her photos showcase her out with friends, trying new fashion styles, and showing off her young bod. Bella Throne's Instagram can very much be a NSFW place sometimes.
I think we can all agree on one thing - most of us were not as hot as Bella Thorne when we were 19. I was still doing the glitter eye shadow thing. Also, young Bella is reportedly hooking up with Scott Disick and I'm SO HERE for the drama that happens with this.
5 Zendaya
On to Bella Thorne's former co-star: Zendaya. The pair starred in Disney's Shake It Up, but have since gone their separate ways. Like Bella Thorne, Zendaya is mega young at just 20-years-old. She's also managed to amass a whopping 41.8 million followers, making her the 30th most followed person on Instagram, right behind Justin Timberlake. What has helped Zendaya gain such a huge following? Well, girlfriend is drop dead gorgeous. Like, she's just stunningly beautiful. But, Zendaya doesn't rely on her beauty alone.
Zendaya uses her social media presence to speak out about political and social issues that matter to her. Being outspoken about the issues can sometimes be polarizing, because if you pick a side, you offend the other side. Zendaya, however, has not let fear of upsetting a follower keep her from posting what she cares about and that's genuineness has made her a highly followed celebrity.
Also, Zendaya is set to appear in the new Spider-Man film, which means fan boys may soon have a huge crush on Zendaya too. Basically, Zendaya is taking over the world, but we're kind of okay with that.
4 Kristin Cavallari
For those of us who are older, we remember Kristin Cavallari as the mean girl on Laguna Beach, and later The Hills. The younger Instagram crowd, however, may just know her as Jay Cutler's hot wife. However you've come to know Kristen Cavallari, there's no doubt she has some reach as an influencer. With 2.7 million followers, she's harnessed her photography skills to help her sell her own products, like her jewelry collection, shoe collection, and her New York Times Bestselling book. Even with all those business ventures, it seems the mother and wife still likes to make a little extra cash with sponsored posts too. But, it's such an easy way for celebrities to make extra money, how can they really resist?
We all know to give Kristen Cavallari some props for turning a reality television gig into a lucrative online presence. Of course, we all know that Lauren Conrad will always be the boss queen of them all, right?
3 Jamie Lynn Spears
Jamie Lynn Spears, Britney Spears' baby sister, is one of the celebrities who got a FTC warning. With 1.4 million followers, Jamie Lynn Spears doesn't have quite the massive following of her big sister, but it's still something. Despite not being quite as famous as her big sister, Jamie Lynn is talented on her own accord, starring in Zoey 101 from 2005 - 2008.
After becoming pregnant at the age of 16, Jamie Lynn took a step back from the public spotlight, but her fans can still find her on Instagram, where she posts photos of her family and her daily life. Also, check out her Instagram is you want to see how much Jamie Lynn and Britney look alike. It's, like, pretty creepy. They're basically the same person. Ah, those Spears genes. Also, if I could get some of those, that would be great. Thanks.
2 Jen Selter
Jen Selter's Instagram is pretty famous, and that's because of one thing: her butt. Jen'a whole body is in amazing shape, but the part of her body that may be the most impressively toned is her bottom. I mean, her booty is pretty amazing. It's so amazing that Jen posts picture after picture of her famous bottom. Seriously, go check out her Instagram if you want to know what her butt looks like in every possible situation and from every possible angle.
This fabulous butt helped Jen Selter gain 11.3 million followers, thus making her a prime person to be a social media influencer. Many of Jen's sponsored posts come in the form of workout or health goods. Since her body is #goals, it would make sense that she'd be able to push products that promise to help you get the same body.
There you have it, 16 celebrities who got some serious warnings from the FTC. Will we start to see celebrities being more upfront with the content they are posting that's sponsored? Only time will tell, but it's likely we won't see a decline in sponsored content, as studies have shown these Instagram posts truly result in sales. Ah, what a weird little world we live in.
1 Shay Mitchell
Our final Pretty Little Liar is Shay Mitchell, who clocks in with 16.9 million followers. Being that she hosts a YouTube channel that focuses on travel, much of her travel is most likely sponsored. With hotels and restaurants hungry for Shay Mitchell to give them a shout out on her YouTube channel or Instagram account, they foot the bill for her. This exchange (a free hotel room for a shout out) is harder for the FTC to keep track of, which is why the FTC has had such a difficult time adjusting to this new Instagram economy, in which freebies are sometimes exchanged for a post. Shay Mitchell is also a Biore sponsor and posts about Biore A LOT. One thing is for sure, the Pretty Little Liars actresses are making cheddar on the side.